First off, I want to say I love using AI for image creation. It has done wonders to boost my creativity.
That said, AI in its current form has many limitations which seem to be by design. There is a random factor built-in which makes it difficult to get consistent imagery. In many cases, it’s impossible and the only way to get what you want is to resort to traditional methods, such as live photoshoots or building the scene you want using 3D software.
And even when you do get something close, the software often adds a random element which won’t go away, no matter how many times you reword your prompt.
One friend became quite angry with me over my coloring book illustrations, telling me they were too complicated. While I agreed, there was nothing I could do about it. But that wasn’t the worst part. No matter what I said, this man wouldn’t listen. The criticism continued, and I almost ended our friendship.
A partial solution is to output your image as is, then take your result into an image editing tool to fix it. This is not satisfying to many users who feel the process should be easier. I agree, but we, as artists, need to figure out how to work with the limitations.
IMO, AI is great for idea creation and prototyping, but often, it won’t take you all the way to your goals. Sometimes, you will get lucky, but then again, there’s that random factor.
The challenge is knowing how to make the best of AI, to take it as far as it will go, then switch to other methods. In time, I believe all these problems will be solved, but we’re not there – yet.
Here’s an example, this train. Looks cool, right? But I have no way of editing the lines using Ai, nor can I change the position of the train. The only way to do that is to rebuild the train in 3D (Blender), then make use of a modifier to turn the 3D objects into lines. This is the only way I would have full control of the scene AND the result.
When AI gets to this point, it will signal a massive change; designers will be able to realize their visions and the industry will experience a massive boom.
AI is a wonderful creativity booster & ideation tool for concepts... but as you mention, the results are often in need of some fine tuning by a person with some design skills. SO, don;t worry graphic designers, your jobs are safe.